Samsung launches crowd-sourced designer bag

January 31, 2013

NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics has partnered with New York-based designer to create the industry's first co-created print inspired by crowd-sourced sketches and images using the Galaxy Note II. The print will appear on a limited-edition bag that will be sold in key markets around the world to raise funds for Art Start, an award-winning, nationally-recognized charity that uses the arts to nurture the creative talents of at-risk children and youth.

Leveraging the Galaxy Note II's inherent create-and-share benefit, Wang will engage a group of special friends, stylists, photographers, and others to create "doodles" – an image, pattern, or a photo – on their Galaxy Note II device. Gathering from active idea-capturing and immediate-sharing, the celebrated New York designer will then curate these sketches into one collectively-inspired final print.

"I am most inspired from my everyday life and the people that surround me, so the idea of a co-creation with the people that I admire and respect the most is very exciting," said Wang. "This collaboration represents a new way that technology and style can come together. And, through a concerted effort, I am happy to be a part of supporting such a great charity as Art Start that embraces creativity and art in a way that can change lives."

"Wang's passion for experimentation, his playful sensibility and his on-the-go lifestyle are the traits that we seek to empower with the Samsung Galaxy Note II," said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Samsung Mobile. "Technology is becoming more deeply linked with the creative processes of fashion designers, and Samsung products are empowering users with the freedom to be creative and productive without limits. As technology and fashion converge, we will continue to create products that inspire passion through innovation."

San-Francisco born Wang launched his eponymous label with a full women's ready-to-wear line in Spring 2007. He was the recipient of the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund in 2008, and in 2009, was recognized by his peers by winning the Swarovski Womenswear Designer of the Year and the Swiss Textiles Award. In 2009, Wang also launched the T by Alexander Wang women's and Footwear line, followed by the Men's T by Alexander Wang a year later. The brand's ready-to-wear line for men was launched in 2011 and Wang was acknowledged by GQ as Best Menswear Designer of the Year and by the CFDA for Best Accessory Designer that same year.

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